Bias in Online Classes: Evidence From a Field Experiment

• In Event: Probing Structural Inequality: Expansion of Audit Examinations to Educational Contexts

Abstract

While online learning environments are increasingly common, relatively little is known about issues of equity in these settings. We test for the presence of race and gender biases among postsecondary students and instructors in online classes by measuring student and instructor responses to discussion comments we posted in the discussion forums of 124 different online courses. Each comment was randomly assigned a student name connoting a specific race and gender. We find that comments posted by White males are 94% more likely to receive a response from an instructor than are comments posted by all other race-gender identities. We also see that comments posted by White females are 19% more likely to get a response from a student than are comments posted by all other race-gender identities. We discuss the implications of our findings for our understanding of social-identity dynamics in classrooms and the design of equitable online learning environments.

Authors

• Rachel Baker, University of California - Irvine

• Thomas Dee, Stanford University

• Brent Joseph Evans, Vanderbilt University

• June John, Stanford University